After a deadly building collapse in Miami, some people who were buried deep down in the collapsed rubble have now found comfort in therapy dogs.

Several therapy dogs have already been coupled with surviving families from Argentina, another from Paraguay, and others who came in from Houston, Perez.

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These dogs are trained to help victims work out their emotions, especially since the victims are going through panic and anxiety attacks.

"They're having panic attacks or anxiety problems and we have been able to let them work with the dogs, touching the dog, getting their emotions out," said Linda Perez, president of Boricuas de Corazon, a nonprofit group dedicated to helping disaster victims.

These therapy dogs have helped people gain sanity amid an emotional rollercoaster that the victims have been going through since the building collapse.

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"They can feel the dog, they can be able to have that contact with their eyes. It's very neat. Animals are absorbing everything emotional that they are feeling at the same time and they can be able to be very relaxing for them," Perez said.

The dogs have helped the victims so much that one woman even requested an extended time period to keep the dog with her while she was waiting for her daughter to arrive, Perez informed.

After a deadly building collapse in Miami, some people who were buried deep down in the collapsed rubble have now found comfort in therapy dogs. Several therapy dogs have already been coupled with surviving families from Argentina, another from Paraguay, and others who came in from Houston, Perez.

After a deadly building collapse in Miami, some people who were buried deep down in the collapsed rubble have now found comfort in therapy dogs. Several therapy dogs have already been coupled with surviving families from Argentina, another from Paraguay, and others who came in from Houston, Perez. Also read | 'Polar dinosaurs' reproduced in Arctic over 70 million years ago: Study These dogs are trained to help victims work out their emotions, especially since the victims are going through panic and anxiety attacks. "They're having panic attacks or anxiety problems and we have been able to let them work with the dogs, touching the dog, getting their emotions out," said Linda Perez, president of Boricuas de Corazon, a nonprofit group dedicated to helping disaster victims. These therapy dogs have helped people gain sanity amid an emotional rollercoaster that the victims have been going through since the building collapse. Also read | Colombia is home to 20% of all butterfly species in the world, study finds "They can feel the dog, they can be able to have that contact with their eyes. It's very neat. Animals are absorbing everything emotional that they are feeling at the same time and they can be able to be very relaxing for them," Perez said. The dogs have helped the victims so much that one woman even requested an extended time period to keep the dog with her while she was waiting for her daughter to arrive, Perez informed.

Therapy dogs help victims of Miami building collapse

Investigators digging under the house of a suspected serial killer on the outskirts of Mexico City have said they have found 3,787 bone fragments so far, apparently belonging to 17 different victims.

Prosecutors in the State of Mexico, which borders Mexico City, suggested the grisly finds may not end there. In excavations carried out since May 17, authorities have dug up the floors of the house where the suspect lived.

They now plan to extend the search to the soil beneath several other rooms he rented out on the same property. ID cards and other possessions from people, who disappeared years ago, were found at the junk-filled home, suggesting the trail of killings may go back years.

The number of bone fragments found underneath concrete floors at the suspect's home would imply the corpses may have been hacked into tiny pieces. That could make sense: the suspect, identified by prosecutors only as "Andrés," was formerly a butcher and in fact sectioned and filleted his last victim.

"The bones fragments are being subjected to lateralisation' studies, which include carefully cleaning each one, identifying what part of the body they are and then placing them in their anatomical position, providing a method for determining the approximate number of victims," the office said in a statement on Saturday.

"This analysis indicates that, up to now, the bone fragments found may possibly be those of 17 people," the statement said.

Authorities have not released the full name of the 72-year-old suspect under Mexican laws protecting a suspect's identity. He has been ordered to stand trial in the killing of his last victim, a 34-year-old woman whose body he allegedly dismembered with a butcher's hacksaw and knives on May 14.

He was caught, not as a result of keen investigative work, but because his most recent alleged victim was the wife of a police commander whom he knew personally.

He was to have accompanied the victim on a shopping trip the day she disappeared, so her husband suspected him when she failed to return. The police officer gained access to police surveillance cameras showing his wife had entered, but not left, the street where the suspect lived; the policeman went to the home, confronted the suspect, and found his wife's hacked-up body inside.

But what investigators also found was women's clothing, voter IDs and audio and video tapes suggesting he may have recorded his victims. The format of the video tapes found at the house may suggest how far the killings went back: authorities found 28 8mm video tapes, which were discontinued around 2007, and 25 VHS cassettes, which largely fell out of favor by 2016.

However, outdated tech formats often remain in use in Mexico after they have been abandoned in other countries. In total, prosecutors said they have found 91 photographs, many of the type people would have used to obtain ID cards; eight cellphones, and women's jewelry and makeup.

Prosecutors said they are still examining the bone fragments to see if they can extract any DNA to identify the victims.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Investigators digging under the house of a suspected serial killer on the outskirts of Mexico City have said they have found 3,787 bone fragments so far, apparently belonging to 17 different victims.

Investigators digging under the house of a suspected serial killer on the outskirts of Mexico City have said they have found 3,787 bone fragments so far, apparently belonging to 17 different victims. Prosecutors in the State of Mexico, which borders Mexico City, suggested the grisly finds may not end there. In excavations carried out since May 17, authorities have dug up the floors of the house where the suspect lived. They now plan to extend the search to the soil beneath several other rooms he rented out on the same property. ID cards and other possessions from people, who disappeared years ago, were found at the junk-filled home, suggesting the trail of killings may go back years. The number of bone fragments found underneath concrete floors at the suspect's home would imply the corpses may have been hacked into tiny pieces. That could make sense: the suspect, identified by prosecutors only as "Andrés," was formerly a butcher and in fact sectioned and filleted his last victim. "The bones fragments are being subjected to lateralisation' studies, which include carefully cleaning each one, identifying what part of the body they are and then placing them in their anatomical position, providing a method for determining the approximate number of victims," the office said in a statement on Saturday. "This analysis indicates that, up to now, the bone fragments found may possibly be those of 17 people," the statement said. Authorities have not released the full name of the 72-year-old suspect under Mexican laws protecting a suspect's identity. He has been ordered to stand trial in the killing of his last victim, a 34-year-old woman whose body he allegedly dismembered with a butcher's hacksaw and knives on May 14. He was caught, not as a result of keen investigative work, but because his most recent alleged victim was the wife of a police commander whom he knew personally. He was to have accompanied the victim on a shopping trip the day she disappeared, so her husband suspected him when she failed to return. The police officer gained access to police surveillance cameras showing his wife had entered, but not left, the street where the suspect lived; the policeman went to the home, confronted the suspect, and found his wife's hacked-up body inside. But what investigators also found was women's clothing, voter IDs and audio and video tapes suggesting he may have recorded his victims. The format of the video tapes found at the house may suggest how far the killings went back: authorities found 28 8mm video tapes, which were discontinued around 2007, and 25 VHS cassettes, which largely fell out of favor by 2016. However, outdated tech formats often remain in use in Mexico after they have been abandoned in other countries. In total, prosecutors said they have found 91 photographs, many of the type people would have used to obtain ID cards; eight cellphones, and women's jewelry and makeup. Prosecutors said they are still examining the bone fragments to see if they can extract any DNA to identify the victims. (With inputs from agencies)

Evidence in Mexico serial killer's house suggests 17 victims

How Rwanda's genocide unfolded

A child died and seven others belonging to Odisha went missing in the Sileru river here when two country boats they were travelling in capsized early on Tuesday.

However, three people swam to safety, police sources said here.

The victims were tribal migrant workers returning to their village Konduguda in Odisha from Hyderabad.

In all, some 35 people started in five country boats in the Sileru river.

Some of them safely reached their destination.

They chose the river route given the ongoing Covid curfew in the state.

A search operation has been launched to trace the victims.

A child died and seven others belonging to Odisha went missing in the Sileru river here when two country boats they were travelling in capsized early on Tuesday.

A child died and seven others belonging to Odisha went missing in the Sileru river here when two country boats they were travelling in capsized early on Tuesday. However, three people swam to safety, police sources said here. The victims were tribal migrant workers returning to their village Konduguda in Odisha from Hyderabad. In all, some 35 people started in five country boats in the Sileru river. Some of them safely reached their destination. They chose the river route given the ongoing Covid curfew in the state. A search operation has been launched to trace the victims.

One dead, 7 missing as country boats capsize in a river in Andhra Pradesh

The United Arab Emirates foreign minister on Friday voiced his country's concern over the escalation of Israeli-Palestinian violence and called for a ceasefire and the start of a diplomatic dialogue, state news agency WAM reported.&nbsp;

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan offered condolences to all victims of the fighting, citing the promise of September accords that made the UAE and Bahrain the first Arab states in a quarter century to establish formal ties with Israel.&nbsp;

"The UAE is alarmed by the escalating spiral of violence in Israel and Palestine. We express our condolences to all victims of the recent fighting, and join others in calling for an immediate cessation of violence and hostilities," he said. &nbsp;

"The UAE calls on all parties to take immediate steps to commit to a ceasefire, initiate a political dialogue, and exercise maximum restraint," the minister added.&nbsp;

"We reflect on the promise that the Abraham Accords hold for current and future generations, to live with their neighbours in peace, dignity and prosperity," he said, offering his country's support to all efforts to de-escalate tensions.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

The United Arab Emirates foreign minister on Friday voiced his country's concern over the escalation of Israeli-Palestinian violence and called for a ceasefire and the start of a diplomatic dialogue, state news agency WAM reported.

The United Arab Emirates foreign minister on Friday voiced his country's concern over the escalation of Israeli-Palestinian violence and called for a ceasefire and the start of a diplomatic dialogue, state news agency WAM reported. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan offered condolences to all victims of the fighting, citing the promise of September accords that made the UAE and Bahrain the first Arab states in a quarter century to establish formal ties with Israel. "The UAE is alarmed by the escalating spiral of violence in Israel and Palestine. We express our condolences to all victims of the recent fighting, and join others in calling for an immediate cessation of violence and hostilities," he said. "The UAE calls on all parties to take immediate steps to commit to a ceasefire, initiate a political dialogue, and exercise maximum restraint," the minister added. "We reflect on the promise that the Abraham Accords hold for current and future generations, to live with their neighbours in peace, dignity and prosperity," he said, offering his country's support to all efforts to de-escalate tensions. (With inputs from agencies)

UAE urges Mideast ceasefire, offers condolences to all victims: Report 

French&nbsp;serial&nbsp;killer&nbsp;Michel Fourniret, the 'Ogre of the Ardennes', who confessed to killing 11 people, died on Monday aged&nbsp;79, taking his final secrets to the grave and denying&nbsp;families&nbsp;of victims long-awaited&nbsp;justice.

Fourniret, whose victims were mostly girls and young women, died at the La Pitie-Salpetriere hospital in Paris where he was admitted on April 28 from the nearby Fresnes prison where he serving two life sentences, Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said.

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An investigation has been opened into his death, Heitz said. This always happens when any person&nbsp;dies&nbsp;in custody in France.

He confessed to 11 murders, including British student Joanna Parrish, who was killed in May 1990 while she was in France as part of her university course.

But he has been linked to other disappearances, most of them in the Ardennes region that straddles the&nbsp;French-Belgian border.

The death of Fourniret, who was reportedly suffering from heart problems and Alzheimer's, dashed the hopes of those&nbsp;families&nbsp;still awaiting&nbsp;justice&nbsp;for murders he may have committed.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="France charges three over neo-Nazi attack plot">France charges three over neo-Nazi attack plot</a>

His lawyers said they now expected the&nbsp;judiciary&nbsp;to end all investigations against him, adding that they had recently asked for his term to be suspended due to his ill health.

Fourniret's victims included nine-year-old Estelle Mouzin, who he raped and killed just months before he was caught in Belgium in 2003.

Fourniret finally admitted to the girl's murder in March 2020 but her body has yet to be found despite intensive searches, including over the last few weeks.

'There is a feeling of anger after so many years of inaction,'&nbsp;said Didier Seban, the lawyer for several&nbsp;families&nbsp;of girls who disappeared including the relatives of Estelle Mouzin.

"There will be no&nbsp;trial&nbsp;and no possibility to have the responses that are expected."

As well as the killing of Parrish, Fourniret had also been charged over the murders of Marie-Angele Domece, who vanished in 1988 and Lydie Loge, a 29-year-old who disappeared in 1993.

His former wife Monique Olivier, who married Fourniret while he was still serving a previous jail term, has also been charged over several of the outstanding cases.

By the time of his arrest, the former forest warden was one of Europe's most notorious&nbsp;serial&nbsp;killers. He even boasted of being a 'far better'&nbsp;killer&nbsp;than the sadistic Belgian paedophile Marc Dutroux.

'Michel Fourniret is taking his secrets with him,'&nbsp;said Richard Delgene, the lawyer of Monique Olivier.

"As we still have a lot of cases in progress, Monique Olivier will remain the only one in the defendants' box to be held accountable."

Fourniret confessed to Estelle Mouzin's murder in March last year only after Olivier gave key testimony that shattered his defence.

Detectives first considered Fourniret a suspect in the girl's disappearance in 2006, after they found a photo of Mouzin on his computer.

Olivier, now 72, is serving a life sentence with no possibility of parole for 28 years, for her role in some of the abductions and killings.

The Parisien newspaper reported on Monday morning that Fourniret was taken to hospital suffering from a heart condition and Alzheimer's, and that doctors had placed him in an artificial coma.

French serial killer Michel Fourniret, the 'Ogre of the Ardennes', who confessed to killing 11 people, died on Monday aged 79, taking his final secrets to the grave and denying families of victims long-awaited justice.

French serial killer Michel Fourniret, the 'Ogre of the Ardennes', who confessed to killing 11 people, died on Monday aged 79, taking his final secrets to the grave and denying families of victims long-awaited justice. Fourniret, whose victims were mostly girls and young women, died at the La Pitie-Salpetriere hospital in Paris where he was admitted on April 28 from the nearby Fresnes prison where he serving two life sentences, Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said. Also read | Protests in France over no trial for Jewish woman's killer An investigation has been opened into his death, Heitz said. This always happens when any person dies in custody in France. He confessed to 11 murders, including British student Joanna Parrish, who was killed in May 1990 while she was in France as part of her university course. But he has been linked to other disappearances, most of them in the Ardennes region that straddles the French-Belgian border. The death of Fourniret, who was reportedly suffering from heart problems and Alzheimer's, dashed the hopes of those families still awaiting justice for murders he may have committed. Also read | France charges three over neo-Nazi attack plot His lawyers said they now expected the judiciary to end all investigations against him, adding that they had recently asked for his term to be suspended due to his ill health. Fourniret's victims included nine-year-old Estelle Mouzin, who he raped and killed just months before he was caught in Belgium in 2003. Fourniret finally admitted to the girl's murder in March 2020 but her body has yet to be found despite intensive searches, including over the last few weeks. 'There is a feeling of anger after so many years of inaction,' said Didier Seban, the lawyer for several families of girls who disappeared including the relatives of Estelle Mouzin. "There will be no trial and no possibility to have the responses that are expected." As well as the killing of Parrish, Fourniret had also been charged over the murders of Marie-Angele Domece, who vanished in 1988 and Lydie Loge, a 29-year-old who disappeared in 1993. His former wife Monique Olivier, who married Fourniret while he was still serving a previous jail term, has also been charged over several of the outstanding cases. By the time of his arrest, the former forest warden was one of Europe's most notorious serial killers. He even boasted of being a 'far better' killer than the sadistic Belgian paedophile Marc Dutroux. 'Michel Fourniret is taking his secrets with him,' said Richard Delgene, the lawyer of Monique Olivier. "As we still have a lot of cases in progress, Monique Olivier will remain the only one in the defendants' box to be held accountable." Fourniret confessed to Estelle Mouzin's murder in March last year only after Olivier gave key testimony that shattered his defence. Detectives first considered Fourniret a suspect in the girl's disappearance in 2006, after they found a photo of Mouzin on his computer. Olivier, now 72, is serving a life sentence with no possibility of parole for 28 years, for her role in some of the abductions and killings. The Parisien newspaper reported on Monday morning that Fourniret was taken to hospital suffering from a heart condition and Alzheimer's, and that doctors had placed him in an artificial coma.

Families denied justice as French serial killer dies at 79

New York City is still using refrigerated trucks to store bodies of coronavirus victims, more than a year after they were first set up as temporary morgues as deaths surged at the height of the pandemic.&nbsp;

The city’s medical examiner’s office said on Friday that 750 bodies are being kept in long-term storage in refrigerated trailers at a Brooklyn pier while family members sort out plans for their final resting places.&nbsp;

Dina Maniotis, a deputy commissioner with the Office of Chief Medical Examiner, told a city council committee on Wednesday that many of the bodies held at the 39th Street Pier could end up buried in the city’s potter’s field on Hart Island.&nbsp;

In April 2020, the city shortened the amount of time it would hold unclaimed remains to 14 days before burying them on Hart Island. At the time, officials said, they were exploring the option of interring unclaimed remains on the island temporarily so they could be moved later on.&nbsp;

Mark Desire, a spokesperson for the medical examiner’s office, said permanent burial on Hart Island is an option for the next-of-kin of COVID-19 victims whose bodies remain in refrigerated trucks.&nbsp;

“Long term storage was created at the height of the pandemic to ensure that families could lay their loved ones to rest as they see fit,” Desire said. “With sensitivity and compassion, we continue to work with individual families on a case by case basis during their period of mourning.&nbsp;

The non-profit news website The City reported on the matter this week. The website noted that between 500 and about 800 bodies have been kept in cold storage at any given time since April 2020.&nbsp;

Those figures were based on estimates by the medical examiner’s office compiled by the website and Columbia University’s Stabile Center for Investigative Reporting.&nbsp;

The Federal Emergency Management Agency sent 85 refrigerated trucks to serve as temporary morgues last year as COVID-19 deaths overwhelmed the city’s permanent morgues and filled storage spaces in many hospitals to capacity.&nbsp;

Many were parked outside hospitals and workers in protective gear used forklifts to place bodies inside in what became a grim, daily ritual.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

New York City is still using refrigerated trucks to store bodies of coronavirus victims, more than a year after they were first set up as temporary morgues as deaths surged at the height of the pandemic.

New York City is still using refrigerated trucks to store bodies of coronavirus victims, more than a year after they were first set up as temporary morgues as deaths surged at the height of the pandemic. The city’s medical examiner’s office said on Friday that 750 bodies are being kept in long-term storage in refrigerated trailers at a Brooklyn pier while family members sort out plans for their final resting places. Dina Maniotis, a deputy commissioner with the Office of Chief Medical Examiner, told a city council committee on Wednesday that many of the bodies held at the 39th Street Pier could end up buried in the city’s potter’s field on Hart Island. In April 2020, the city shortened the amount of time it would hold unclaimed remains to 14 days before burying them on Hart Island. At the time, officials said, they were exploring the option of interring unclaimed remains on the island temporarily so they could be moved later on. Mark Desire, a spokesperson for the medical examiner’s office, said permanent burial on Hart Island is an option for the next-of-kin of COVID-19 victims whose bodies remain in refrigerated trucks. “Long term storage was created at the height of the pandemic to ensure that families could lay their loved ones to rest as they see fit,” Desire said. “With sensitivity and compassion, we continue to work with individual families on a case by case basis during their period of mourning. The non-profit news website The City reported on the matter this week. The website noted that between 500 and about 800 bodies have been kept in cold storage at any given time since April 2020. Those figures were based on estimates by the medical examiner’s office compiled by the website and Columbia University’s Stabile Center for Investigative Reporting. The Federal Emergency Management Agency sent 85 refrigerated trucks to serve as temporary morgues last year as COVID-19 deaths overwhelmed the city’s permanent morgues and filled storage spaces in many hospitals to capacity. Many were parked outside hospitals and workers in protective gear used forklifts to place bodies inside in what became a grim, daily ritual. (With inputs from agencies)

NYC still storing COVID-19 victims in refrigerated trucks 

Child soldiers and other victims of convicted Congolese militia leader Bosco Ntaganda should get a total of $30 million compensation, International Criminal Court judges ruled on Monday, in their highest ever reparation order.&nbsp;

The judges said Ntaganda did not have the resources to pay the compensation himself. Instead, they asked the tribunal's own Trust Fund to help set up and finance vocational and other programmes to support victims of his crimes.&nbsp;

Ntaganda was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2019 for murder, rape and other atrocities committed when he was military chief of the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) militia in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in 2002-2003.&nbsp;

Hundreds of civilians were killed and many thousands forced to flee during the fighting.&nbsp;

"The chamber hereby unanimously issues an order for reparations against mister Ntaganda (and) assesses mister Ntaganda's liability for these reparations at 30 million US dollars," judge Chang-ho Chung said.&nbsp;

As Ntaganda could not pay, "the Chamber encourages the Trust Fund for Victims to complement the reparation awards to the extent possible and engage in additional fundraising efforts as necessary to complement the totality of the award," he added.&nbsp;

In 2020 the fund, which relies on voluntary contributions, had around 18 million euros in reserves and much of that was already pledged in other cases.&nbsp;

Victims eligible for the reparations programme include victims of attacks led by Ntaganda, child soldiers under his command, rape victims and children born out of rape.&nbsp;

The judges awarded collective reparations, meaning there will be no individual pay outs. Any money will instead go to charities or funds set up to help victims.&nbsp;

Ntaganda is appealing against his conviction.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Child soldiers and other victims of convicted Congolese militia leader Bosco Ntaganda should get a total of $30 million compensation, International Criminal Court judges ruled on Monday, in their highest ever reparation order.

Child soldiers and other victims of convicted Congolese militia leader Bosco Ntaganda should get a total of $30 million compensation, International Criminal Court judges ruled on Monday, in their highest ever reparation order. The judges said Ntaganda did not have the resources to pay the compensation himself. Instead, they asked the tribunal's own Trust Fund to help set up and finance vocational and other programmes to support victims of his crimes. Ntaganda was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2019 for murder, rape and other atrocities committed when he was military chief of the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) militia in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in 2002-2003. Hundreds of civilians were killed and many thousands forced to flee during the fighting. "The chamber hereby unanimously issues an order for reparations against mister Ntaganda (and) assesses mister Ntaganda's liability for these reparations at 30 million US dollars," judge Chang-ho Chung said. As Ntaganda could not pay, "the Chamber encourages the Trust Fund for Victims to complement the reparation awards to the extent possible and engage in additional fundraising efforts as necessary to complement the totality of the award," he added. In 2020 the fund, which relies on voluntary contributions, had around 18 million euros in reserves and much of that was already pledged in other cases. Victims eligible for the reparations programme include victims of attacks led by Ntaganda, child soldiers under his command, rape victims and children born out of rape. The judges awarded collective reparations, meaning there will be no individual pay outs. Any money will instead go to charities or funds set up to help victims. Ntaganda is appealing against his conviction. (With inputs from agencies)

ICC orders record $30 million compensation for Congo victims 

The names of women victimised by violence were painted on metal barriers hastily erected around Mexico's national palace late on Saturday, ahead of a major women's march as activists turned the fencing into a makeshift billboard for their movement.&nbsp;

Near the front of the colonial-era building that serves as the president's offices, activists wrote: "Victims of Femicide" in huge letters across the top of the barriers, with the names of many women scrawled underneath.&nbsp;

A day earlier, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador described the barrier as a needed tool to avoid provocation and protect the historic building from vandalism ahead of Monday's planned march on International Women's Day.&nbsp;

On Sunday, the leftist leader insisted that he had always believed in equality in a video he posted on social media, in which he also lashed out at those he described as conservative critics, who aim to attack his government.&nbsp;

"I'm not a male chauvinist. I'm in favour of the rights of women," he said, pledging never to repress the free assembly of protesters.&nbsp;

Similar metallic barriers were erected around the nearby orange-domed Fine Arts Palace, including its towering bronze sculptures, as city officials announced plans to deploy police downtown to protect marchers as well as the monuments, including some 2,000 female police officers.&nbsp;

"Our struggle has names," Marisol Clava, an academic, wrote in a post on Twitter, along with photos of the names written on the national palace barriers.&nbsp;

Last year, at least 939 women were victims of femicide, the term used for homicides that deliberately target women, according to government data.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The names of women victimised by violence were painted on metal barriers hastily erected around Mexico's national palace late on Saturday, ahead of a major women's march as activists turned the fencing into a makeshift billboard for their movement.

The names of women victimised by violence were painted on metal barriers hastily erected around Mexico's national palace late on Saturday, ahead of a major women's march as activists turned the fencing into a makeshift billboard for their movement. Near the front of the colonial-era building that serves as the president's offices, activists wrote: "Victims of Femicide" in huge letters across the top of the barriers, with the names of many women scrawled underneath. A day earlier, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador described the barrier as a needed tool to avoid provocation and protect the historic building from vandalism ahead of Monday's planned march on International Women's Day. On Sunday, the leftist leader insisted that he had always believed in equality in a video he posted on social media, in which he also lashed out at those he described as conservative critics, who aim to attack his government. "I'm not a male chauvinist. I'm in favour of the rights of women," he said, pledging never to repress the free assembly of protesters. Similar metallic barriers were erected around the nearby orange-domed Fine Arts Palace, including its towering bronze sculptures, as city officials announced plans to deploy police downtown to protect marchers as well as the monuments, including some 2,000 female police officers. "Our struggle has names," Marisol Clava, an academic, wrote in a post on Twitter, along with photos of the names written on the national palace barriers. Last year, at least 939 women were victims of femicide, the term used for homicides that deliberately target women, according to government data. (With inputs from agencies)

Activists paint barriers with names of femicide victims in Mexico 

It has been nearly 5 months since the deadly Beirut blast, far from recovering from their grief. Families of the victims are now leading a battle against the government as several questions remain unanswered.

Beirut blast victims' kin awaits answers from government

In a small town south of Brussels, funeral director Stephane Geeurickx says almost all the dead he has buried in the last weeks died of COVID-19, which was not the case when the pandemic first took hold.

Belgian undertaker buries almost only COVID victims amid second wave

A new report estimates that 29 million women and girls are victims of modern slavery, exploited by practices including forced labour, forced marriage, debt-bondage and domestic servitude.

Report: 29 million girls, women victims of modern slavery

New Zealand changed its gun laws 25 days after the Christchurch shootings. The U.S. has seen numerous such incidents. What's stopping it from adopting gun control? Palki Sharma Upadhyay has a report.

Gravitas: New Zealand's exemplary response to terror

The terrorist behind the Christchurch shootings has been sentenced to life in prison. Almost 90 victims and survivors confronted the shooter during the hearings. The terrorist showed no remorse for what he had done. Palki Sharma Upadhyay tells you more.

Gravitas: Life sentence for Christchurch Gunman: Listen to the moving testimonies from victims

California's bankrupt power producer PG&amp;E Corp said on Friday (December 6) it had reached a $13.5 billion settlement with victims of some of most devastating wildfires in the state's modern history.

State fire investigators in May determined that PG&amp;E transmission lines caused the deadliest and most destructive wildfire on record in California, the wind-driven Camp Fire that killed 85 people in and around the town of Paradise last year.

They likewise concluded that PG&amp;E power lines had sparked a separate flurry of wildfires that swept California's wine country north of San Francisco Bay in 2017.

The agreement helps smooth the way for the beleaguered company to emerge from bankruptcy. It filed for Chapter 11 protection in January, citing potential liabilities in excess of $30 billion from wildfires in 2017 and 2018 linked to its equipment.

PG&amp;E had previously reached a $1 billion settlement with cities, counties and other public entities and an $11 billion agreement with insurance carriers related to the wildfires.

It has come under renewed criticism this year for precautionary power outages to guard against the risk of wildfires posed by extremely dry and windy weather.

California's bankrupt power producer PG&E Corp said on Friday (December 6) it had reached a $13.5 billion settlement with victims of some of most devastating wildfires in the state's modern history.

California's bankrupt power producer PG&E Corp said on Friday (December 6) it had reached a $13.5 billion settlement with victims of some of most devastating wildfires in the state's modern history. State fire investigators in May determined that PG&E transmission lines caused the deadliest and most destructive wildfire on record in California, the wind-driven Camp Fire that killed 85 people in and around the town of Paradise last year. They likewise concluded that PG&E power lines had sparked a separate flurry of wildfires that swept California's wine country north of San Francisco Bay in 2017. The agreement helps smooth the way for the beleaguered company to emerge from bankruptcy. It filed for Chapter 11 protection in January, citing potential liabilities in excess of $30 billion from wildfires in 2017 and 2018 linked to its equipment. PG&E had previously reached a $1 billion settlement with cities, counties and other public entities and an $11 billion agreement with insurance carriers related to the wildfires. It has come under renewed criticism this year for precautionary power outages to guard against the risk of wildfires posed by extremely dry and windy weather.

Bankrupt PG&E reaches $13.5 bn settlement with California wildfire victims

One person was killed and five others wounded on Thursday in a shooting on the streets of Washington, D.C., not far from the White House, police said.

Police have not apprehended a suspect as of late Thursday and do not know the motive for the shooting, said Metropolitan Police commander Stuart Emerman.

He said it is not an active shooting situation.

"Detectives are interviewing witnesses and looking for camera footage," Emerman said.

Watch: Late night shoot-out in Northwest Washington DC, several injured

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Of the five wounded victims of the shooting, two were considered critcal and other injuries ranged from serious to minor, but all were expected to survive their injuries, he said.

All of the victims are adults, Emerman said.

The gunfire erupted in the Columbia Heights neighborhood, about two miles (three km) from the White House on Thursday night about 10 p.m., and happened outdoors in a courtyard of an apartment building, police said.

ABC affiliate WJLA-TV posted images on Twitter of ambulances carrying victims from the scene and said there had been a "massive" police response at the intersection of 14th Street and Columbia Road.

One person was killed and five others wounded on Thursday in a shooting on the streets of Washington, D.C., not far from the White House, police said. Police have not apprehended a suspect as of late Thursday and do not know the motive for the shooting, said Metropolitan Police commander Stuart Emerman.

One person was killed and five others wounded on Thursday in a shooting on the streets of Washington, D.C., not far from the White House, police said. Police have not apprehended a suspect as of late Thursday and do not know the motive for the shooting, said Metropolitan Police commander Stuart Emerman. He said it is not an active shooting situation. "Detectives are interviewing witnesses and looking for camera footage," Emerman said. Watch: Late night shoot-out in Northwest Washington DC, several injured Of the five wounded victims of the shooting, two were considered critcal and other injuries ranged from serious to minor, but all were expected to survive their injuries, he said. All of the victims are adults, Emerman said. The gunfire erupted in the Columbia Heights neighborhood, about two miles (three km) from the White House on Thursday night about 10 p.m., and happened outdoors in a courtyard of an apartment building, police said. ABC affiliate WJLA-TV posted images on Twitter of ambulances carrying victims from the scene and said there had been a "massive" police response at the intersection of 14th Street and Columbia Road.

One dead, five hurt in Washington, DC shooting: Police

Poland pats tribute to 1st victims of World War 2

Poland Marks 80 years since World War 2 began

Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi on Sunday visited a relief camp at Boodanam Church in Nilambur, Malappuram in Kerala and reviewed relief measures in the flood-ravaged district.

Gandhi, who is a Member of Parliament (MP) from Wayanad, interacted with the flood victims with the help of local leaders.

As many as 11 people have died in the district alone due to<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../flood-fury-continues-in-southwest-india-42- dead-in-kerala-242065"> floods</a>.

Gandhi reached Kerala today for his<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/kerala-floods-rahul-gandhi-to-visit-wayanad-tomorrow-241999"> two-day visit.</a>

"For the next few days, I will be based in my Lok Sabha constituency, Wayanad that has been ravaged by floods. I will be visiting relief camps across Wayanad and reviewing relief measures with District and State officials," Gandhi tweeted, earlier in the day.

Operations at Cochin International Airport, which were suspended following heavy rains, resumed on Sunday.

Rescue operations are underway by the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF), Army and the local police.&nbsp;

Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi on Sunday visited a relief camp at Boodanam Church in Nilambur, Malappuram in Kerala and reviewed relief measures in the flood-ravaged district.

Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi on Sunday visited a relief camp at Boodanam Church in Nilambur, Malappuram in Kerala and reviewed relief measures in the flood-ravaged district. Gandhi, who is a Member of Parliament (MP) from Wayanad, interacted with the flood victims with the help of local leaders. As many as 11 people have died in the district alone due to floods. Gandhi reached Kerala today for his two-day visit. "For the next few days, I will be based in my Lok Sabha constituency, Wayanad that has been ravaged by floods. I will be visiting relief camps across Wayanad and reviewing relief measures with District and State officials," Gandhi tweeted, earlier in the day. Operations at Cochin International Airport, which were suspended following heavy rains, resumed on Sunday. Rescue operations are underway by the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF), Army and the local police.

Kerala: Rahul Gandhi visits relief camp in Nilambur

Two people were killed and two critically wounded when a gunman opened fire on two motorists and a Metro bus in Seattle on Wednesday and then caused a collision as he tried to flee in a stolen car during the afternoon rush hour, police said.

The incident unfolded in a northeastern Seattle neighbourhood when the suspect approached a motorist at an intersection and shot her before walking into the street and firing on the bus, police said in a statement.

The bus driver was struck but managed to turn the bus around and head away from the assailant, police said. The suspect then approached a second motorist in a Toyota Prius and opened fire, killing the driver.

The gunman climbed into the Prius as police arrived and sped away but collided with a nearby vehicle, killing that driver. Officers pursuing the suspect took him into custody following a brief standoff, police said.

Authorities did not immediately offer an explanation for what might have precipitated the shooting or specify the type of weapon used.

The unidentified suspect was taken to a Seattle hospital, where he remained under guard while being treated for injuries that were not life-threatening, according to police.

Police said one motorist was killed by gunfire and the other motorist was killed in the collision. Both were men, as was the wounded bus driver. None of the victims was immediately identified.

King County's Metro transit authority said on Twitter the bus driver had activated an emergency alarm to report being hit by gunfire, and that none of his 12 passengers was injured.

Although wounded in the torso, the bus driver was able to walk to a gurney to be transported by paramedics to a hospital, the Seattle Times newspaper quoted a transit union president as saying.

Two people were killed and two critically wounded when a gunman opened fire on two motorists and a Metro bus in Seattle on Wednesday and then caused a collision as he tried to flee in a stolen car during the afternoon rush hour, police said.

Two people were killed and two critically wounded when a gunman opened fire on two motorists and a Metro bus in Seattle on Wednesday and then caused a collision as he tried to flee in a stolen car during the afternoon rush hour, police said. The incident unfolded in a northeastern Seattle neighbourhood when the suspect approached a motorist at an intersection and shot her before walking into the street and firing on the bus, police said in a statement. The bus driver was struck but managed to turn the bus around and head away from the assailant, police said. The suspect then approached a second motorist in a Toyota Prius and opened fire, killing the driver. The gunman climbed into the Prius as police arrived and sped away but collided with a nearby vehicle, killing that driver. Officers pursuing the suspect took him into custody following a brief standoff, police said. Authorities did not immediately offer an explanation for what might have precipitated the shooting or specify the type of weapon used. The unidentified suspect was taken to a Seattle hospital, where he remained under guard while being treated for injuries that were not life-threatening, according to police. Police said one motorist was killed by gunfire and the other motorist was killed in the collision. Both were men, as was the wounded bus driver. None of the victims was immediately identified. King County's Metro transit authority said on Twitter the bus driver had activated an emergency alarm to report being hit by gunfire, and that none of his 12 passengers was injured. Although wounded in the torso, the bus driver was able to walk to a gurney to be transported by paramedics to a hospital, the Seattle Times newspaper quoted a transit union president as saying.

Two dead, 2 wounded in Seattle shooting: Report

A shooting in Seattle on Wednesday left multiple victims struck by gunfire, city police said on Twitter, as local media reported one person dead and three others wounded, including a bus driver.

One person was detained by law enforcement in connection with the shooting, Seattle police said in a Twitter message, but details of the gun violence remained sketchy. The incident apparently occurred at a bus stop during the late-afternoon commuter rush.

King County's Metro transit authority said on Twitter that the bus driver involved activated an emergency alarm to report being struck by gunfire, and that none of the 12 passengers aboard was injured.

The driver was wounded in the torso but managed to walk to a gurney to be transported by paramedics to a hospital, the Seattle Times newspaper quoted a transit union president as saying.

It was unclear whether the bus driver was targeted, Kenneth Price, head of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587, told the Times.

According to Police Chief Carmen Best, four people were shot, one of them fatally, in the burst of violence in North Seattle, the newspaper reported.

A Seattle police tweet said: "Multiple victims in shooting incident." No further official details were immediately available.

A shooting in Seattle on Wednesday left multiple victims struck by gunfire, city police said on Twitter, as local media reported one person dead and three others wounded, including a bus driver.

A shooting in Seattle on Wednesday left multiple victims struck by gunfire, city police said on Twitter, as local media reported one person dead and three others wounded, including a bus driver. One person was detained by law enforcement in connection with the shooting, Seattle police said in a Twitter message, but details of the gun violence remained sketchy. The incident apparently occurred at a bus stop during the late-afternoon commuter rush. King County's Metro transit authority said on Twitter that the bus driver involved activated an emergency alarm to report being struck by gunfire, and that none of the 12 passengers aboard was injured. The driver was wounded in the torso but managed to walk to a gurney to be transported by paramedics to a hospital, the Seattle Times newspaper quoted a transit union president as saying. It was unclear whether the bus driver was targeted, Kenneth Price, head of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587, told the Times. According to Police Chief Carmen Best, four people were shot, one of them fatally, in the burst of violence in North Seattle, the newspaper reported. A Seattle police tweet said: "Multiple victims in shooting incident." No further official details were immediately available.

Seattle police report multiple victims in shooting

Mozambique reported scores more deaths on Saturday from a cyclone and floods around southern Africa that have killed at least 732 people and left thousands in desperate need of help, many on rooftops and trees.

Cyclone Idai lashed the Mozambican port city of Beira with winds of up to 170 km per hour last week, then moved inland to Zimbabwe and Malawi, swamping populations and devastating homes.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mozambique-cyclone-death-toll-jumps-to-more-than-400-205056">Mozambique's death toll</a> rose to 417 from 242, Land and Environment Minister Celso Correia said.

"The situation is getting better, still critical, but it's getting better," he told reporters at the airport in Beira that has become a centre for aid operations.

The storm has also killed 259 in Zimbabwe, while in Malawi 56 people died in heavy rains ahead of the cyclone.

In all three countries, survivors have been digging through rubble to search for victims, and scrambling for shelter, food and water, while governments and aid agencies rush in help.

"All our food got wet, we didn't know where to go with the children. We don't have anything," said Mimi Manuel, a 26-year-old mother of four who lost her home and was sitting on the floor of a makeshift shelter in a primary school in Beira.

At the refuge, families cooked with wood from trees ripped up by the storm, as toddlers played around battered school desks. Manuel wore a necklace with the word "Hope."

Destroyed houses

"When it all started, people started screaming," another survivor Dina Fiegado, 18, said, describing how sheet rooves blew off and rough walls collapsed in the sea-edge community of Praia Nova, where residents said about 50 people died.

"Some people tried to escape, some people tried to stay at home."

The Mozambican minister said some 1,500 people were in need of immediate rescue from rooftops and trees. Helicopters and boats have been carrying people to safety.

The United Nations' humanitarian office warned that more flooding may come as heavy rains inland poured into the low-lying Beira area and nearby dams filled up threatening to burst the Buzi and Pungwe rivers again.

"We're going to have to wait until the flood waters recede until we know the full expanse of the toll on the people of Mozambique," said UN&nbsp;Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinator Sebastian Rhodes Stampa.

Some cholera cases have been reported.

Left with nothing, many survivors were fretting for their future, while others mourned losses.

At Beira's central morgue, 56-year old Mika Masseera, grieved for his severely weakened mother, Sumbo Mufucho, 73, who died in hospital following a rescue after she had clung to a tree for two days surrounded by floodwaters.

Mozambique reported scores more deaths on Saturday from a cyclone and floods around southern Africa that have killed at least 732 people and left thousands in desperate need of help, many on rooftops and trees.

Mozambique reported scores more deaths on Saturday from a cyclone and floods around southern Africa that have killed at least 732 people and left thousands in desperate need of help, many on rooftops and trees. Cyclone Idai lashed the Mozambican port city of Beira with winds of up to 170 km per hour last week, then moved inland to Zimbabwe and Malawi, swamping populations and devastating homes. Mozambique's death toll rose to 417 from 242, Land and Environment Minister Celso Correia said. "The situation is getting better, still critical, but it's getting better," he told reporters at the airport in Beira that has become a centre for aid operations. The storm has also killed 259 in Zimbabwe, while in Malawi 56 people died in heavy rains ahead of the cyclone. In all three countries, survivors have been digging through rubble to search for victims, and scrambling for shelter, food and water, while governments and aid agencies rush in help. "All our food got wet, we didn't know where to go with the children. We don't have anything," said Mimi Manuel, a 26-year-old mother of four who lost her home and was sitting on the floor of a makeshift shelter in a primary school in Beira. At the refuge, families cooked with wood from trees ripped up by the storm, as toddlers played around battered school desks. Manuel wore a necklace with the word "Hope." Destroyed houses "When it all started, people started screaming," another survivor Dina Fiegado, 18, said, describing how sheet rooves blew off and rough walls collapsed in the sea-edge community of Praia Nova, where residents said about 50 people died. "Some people tried to escape, some people tried to stay at home." The Mozambican minister said some 1,500 people were in need of immediate rescue from rooftops and trees. Helicopters and boats have been carrying people to safety. The United Nations' humanitarian office warned that more flooding may come as heavy rains inland poured into the low-lying Beira area and nearby dams filled up threatening to burst the Buzi and Pungwe rivers again. "We're going to have to wait until the flood waters recede until we know the full expanse of the toll on the people of Mozambique," said UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinator Sebastian Rhodes Stampa. Some cholera cases have been reported. Left with nothing, many survivors were fretting for their future, while others mourned losses. At Beira's central morgue, 56-year old Mika Masseera, grieved for his severely weakened mother, Sumbo Mufucho, 73, who died in hospital following a rescue after she had clung to a tree for two days surrounded by floodwaters.

Cyclone Idai claims 417 lives in Mozambique, over 700 killed in Southern Africa

Mozambique reported scores more deaths on Saturday from a cyclone and floods around southern Africa that have killed at least 732 people and left thousands in desperate need of help, many on rooftops and trees.

Cyclone Idai lashed the Mozambican port city of Beira with winds of up to 170 km per hour last week, then moved inland to Zimbabwe and Malawi, swamping populations and devastating homes.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mozambique-cyclone-death-toll-jumps-to-more-than-400-205056">Mozambique's death toll</a> rose to 417 from 242, Land and Environment Minister Celso Correia said.

"The situation is getting better, still critical, but it's getting better," he told reporters at the airport in Beira that has become a centre for aid operations.

The storm has also killed 259 in Zimbabwe, while in Malawi 56 people died in heavy rains ahead of the cyclone.

In all three countries, survivors have been digging through rubble to search for victims, and scrambling for shelter, food and water, while governments and aid agencies rush in help.

"All our food got wet, we didn't know where to go with the children. We don't have anything," said Mimi Manuel, a 26-year-old mother of four who lost her home and was sitting on the floor of a makeshift shelter in a primary school in Beira.

At the refuge, families cooked with wood from trees ripped up by the storm, as toddlers played around battered school desks. Manuel wore a necklace with the word "Hope."

DESTROYED HOUSES

"When it all started, people started screaming," another survivor Dina Fiegado, 18, said, describing how sheet rooves blew off and rough walls collapsed in the sea-edge community of Praia Nova, where residents said about 50 people died.

"Some people tried to escape, some people tried to stay at home."

The Mozambican minister said some 1,500 people were in need of immediate rescue from rooftops and trees. Helicopters and boats have been carrying people to safety.

The United Nations' humanitarian office warned that more flooding may come as heavy rains inland poured into the low-lying Beira area and nearby dams filled up threatening to burst the Buzi and Pungwe rivers again.

"We're going to have to wait until the flood waters recede until we know the full expanse of the toll on the people of Mozambique," said U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinator Sebastian Rhodes Stampa.

Some cholera cases have been reported.

Left with nothing, many survivors were fretting for their future, while others mourned losses.

At Beira's central morgue, 56-year old Mika Masseera, grieved for his severely weakened mother, Sumbo Mufucho, 73, who died in hospital following a rescue after she had clung to a tree for two days surrounded by floodwaters.

Mozambique reported scores more deaths on Saturday from a cyclone and floods around southern Africa that have killed at least 732 people and left thousands in desperate need of help, many on rooftops and trees. Cyclone Idai lashed the Mozambican port city of Beira with winds of up to 170 km per hour last week, then moved inland to Zimbabwe and Malawi, swamping populations and devastating homes. Mozambique's death toll rose to 417 from 242, Land and Environment Minister Celso Correia said. "The situation is getting better, still critical, but it's getting better," he told reporters at the airport in Beira that has become a centre for aid operations. The storm has also killed 259 in Zimbabwe, while in Malawi 56 people died in heavy rains ahead of the cyclone. In all three countries, survivors have been digging through rubble to search for victims, and scrambling for shelter, food and water, while governments and aid agencies rush in help. "All our food got wet, we didn't know where to go with the children. We don't have anything," said Mimi Manuel, a 26-year-old mother of four who lost her home and was sitting on the floor of a makeshift shelter in a primary school in Beira. At the refuge, families cooked with wood from trees ripped up by the storm, as toddlers played around battered school desks. Manuel wore a necklace with the word "Hope." DESTROYED HOUSES "When it all started, people started screaming," another survivor Dina Fiegado, 18, said, describing how sheet rooves blew off and rough walls collapsed in the sea-edge community of Praia Nova, where residents said about 50 people died. "Some people tried to escape, some people tried to stay at home." The Mozambican minister said some 1,500 people were in need of immediate rescue from rooftops and trees. Helicopters and boats have been carrying people to safety. The United Nations' humanitarian office warned that more flooding may come as heavy rains inland poured into the low-lying Beira area and nearby dams filled up threatening to burst the Buzi and Pungwe rivers again. "We're going to have to wait until the flood waters recede until we know the full expanse of the toll on the people of Mozambique," said U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinator Sebastian Rhodes Stampa. Some cholera cases have been reported. Left with nothing, many survivors were fretting for their future, while others mourned losses. At Beira's central morgue, 56-year old Mika Masseera, grieved for his severely weakened mother, Sumbo Mufucho, 73, who died in hospital following a rescue after she had clung to a tree for two days surrounded by floodwaters.

Cyclone Idai: Death toll rises to over 700 in Mozambique

Aid workers faced disarray, a clamour for help and mounting anger Friday as they headed out <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/death-toll-at-294-in-mozambique-after-cyclone-idai-204760">across central Mozambique</a>, struggling to help tens of thousands of people battered by one of southern Africa's most powerful storms.

A week after Tropical Cyclone Idai lashed Mozambique with winds of nearly 200 kilometres (120 miles) per hour, rescue efforts rose a gear but the situation was often chaotic.

Humanitarian agencies are racing to rescue those still trapped, feed those who have been brought to safety and protect them from potential outbreaks of malaria and cholera.

"Already, some cholera cases have been reported in (the port city of) Beira along with an increasing number of malaria infections among people trapped by the flooding," said the International Federation of Red Cross in a statement.

The mayor of Diaz Simango told AFP that cases of diarrhoeal infections had already been reported.

"We are running out of time, it is at a critical point here," UN children's agency chief Henrietta Fore told AFP after she flew into the devastated port city of Beira from New York.

Hygiene and safe drinking water are absolute priorities, she warned.

"There's stagnant water, it's not draining, decomposing bodies, lack of good hygiene and sanitation," Fore said. "We are worried about cholera, about malaria, because of the stagnant water."

World Food Programme (WFP) spokesman Gerald Bourke said the aid effort was "slow to start, (but)... is now accelerating, thankfully."

WFP declared the flood crisis a level three emergency, putting it on a par with Yemen, Syria and South Sudan.

Relief agencies said the gravity of the cyclone and scale of the flooding it unleashed had been extremely shocking.

The confirmed death toll in Mozambique and neighbouring Zimbabwe topped 550 on Friday, with 293 killed in Mozambique, and 259 in Zimbabwe, according to the UN Migration agency IOM, which said more than 120 of the dead in Zimbabwe had been washed into Mozambique.

Around 1.7 million people have been affected and hundreds are still missing.

Districts west of Beira resemble an inland lake, and thousands of people are still trapped on roof tops and on tree branches.&nbsp;

The town of Buzi situated across the estuary southwest of Beira "has reportedly disappeared, with the water as high as the palm trees" and 40 prisoners and staff still trapped on a roof, said the International Committee of the Red (ICRC).&nbsp;

"This disaster is a catastrophe," Prime Minister Carlos Antonio do Rosario told reporters in Beira. The government says there are still around 15,000 people still needing to be saved.

Anger

More than 65,000 people are already in shelters in central Mozambique and other sites are being opened.

In Dondo, near Beira, food distribution finally started on Thursday at one of 20 schools transformed into emergency shelters.&nbsp;

"Today is the first day we receive help," said survivor Marta Antonio. &nbsp;

"But they don't give it to everyone, they only give it to those who are in the rooms. But those outside receive nothing," she said.

Victims who were not housed in the centres were frustrated.

They complained that they had been forgotten and for those lining up for something to eat, the food was insufficient.

"I have four children, and they're only going to eat bread? Give me a bag of aid," demanded one man, who did not give his name.

In Beira's Samora Machel Secondary School, where President Filipe Nyusi was educated, more than 1,000 people found shelter, where many slept on the floor of an indoor basketball court.

"Everything is difficult here. I'm fighting for my children to have something to eat," said Celeste Dambo, who said that by lunchtime she had not yet eaten anything since the previous night.

On Wednesday, crowds of people looted a warehouse, taking away sacks of rice marked "China Aid."

"People have suffered for weeks here, and they are understandably worried. This is a very difficult situation, on a massive scale, the response is building, you’re going to have hiccups, (but) a lot more people are weighing in," said Bourke.

The United Nations has launched an appeal for assistance.

'Cholera and malaria'&nbsp;

Meantime the main morgue in Beira is teeming with bodies and burials are impossible because the city cemeteries are flooded, said the ICRC.

"The mortuary at the city’s main hospital is full and there are dozens of bodies that need to be removed and cared for in a dignified way," said ICRC in a statement.

"The humanitarian needs will tragically only deepen in the coming weeks," it added.&nbsp;

The mayor of Beira Daviz Simango has been helping clean up the city, driving excavator. "We are starting from zero, we have started the work," he told AFP adding "our people have suffered a lot". &nbsp;

Meanwhile, the ICRC has set up a dedicated website where missing people can be registered.&nbsp;

Aid workers faced disarray, a clamour for help and mounting anger Friday as they headed out across central Mozambique, struggling to help tens of thousands of people battered by one of southern Africa's most powerful storms.

Aid workers faced disarray, a clamour for help and mounting anger Friday as they headed out across central Mozambique, struggling to help tens of thousands of people battered by one of southern Africa's most powerful storms. A week after Tropical Cyclone Idai lashed Mozambique with winds of nearly 200 kilometres (120 miles) per hour, rescue efforts rose a gear but the situation was often chaotic. Humanitarian agencies are racing to rescue those still trapped, feed those who have been brought to safety and protect them from potential outbreaks of malaria and cholera. "Already, some cholera cases have been reported in (the port city of) Beira along with an increasing number of malaria infections among people trapped by the flooding," said the International Federation of Red Cross in a statement. The mayor of Diaz Simango told AFP that cases of diarrhoeal infections had already been reported. "We are running out of time, it is at a critical point here," UN children's agency chief Henrietta Fore told AFP after she flew into the devastated port city of Beira from New York. Hygiene and safe drinking water are absolute priorities, she warned. "There's stagnant water, it's not draining, decomposing bodies, lack of good hygiene and sanitation," Fore said. "We are worried about cholera, about malaria, because of the stagnant water." World Food Programme (WFP) spokesman Gerald Bourke said the aid effort was "slow to start, (but)... is now accelerating, thankfully." WFP declared the flood crisis a level three emergency, putting it on a par with Yemen, Syria and South Sudan. Relief agencies said the gravity of the cyclone and scale of the flooding it unleashed had been extremely shocking. The confirmed death toll in Mozambique and neighbouring Zimbabwe topped 550 on Friday, with 293 killed in Mozambique, and 259 in Zimbabwe, according to the UN Migration agency IOM, which said more than 120 of the dead in Zimbabwe had been washed into Mozambique. Around 1.7 million people have been affected and hundreds are still missing. Districts west of Beira resemble an inland lake, and thousands of people are still trapped on roof tops and on tree branches. The town of Buzi situated across the estuary southwest of Beira "has reportedly disappeared, with the water as high as the palm trees" and 40 prisoners and staff still trapped on a roof, said the International Committee of the Red (ICRC). "This disaster is a catastrophe," Prime Minister Carlos Antonio do Rosario told reporters in Beira. The government says there are still around 15,000 people still needing to be saved. Anger More than 65,000 people are already in shelters in central Mozambique and other sites are being opened. In Dondo, near Beira, food distribution finally started on Thursday at one of 20 schools transformed into emergency shelters. "Today is the first day we receive help," said survivor Marta Antonio. "But they don't give it to everyone, they only give it to those who are in the rooms. But those outside receive nothing," she said. Victims who were not housed in the centres were frustrated. They complained that they had been forgotten and for those lining up for something to eat, the food was insufficient. "I have four children, and they're only going to eat bread? Give me a bag of aid," demanded one man, who did not give his name. In Beira's Samora Machel Secondary School, where President Filipe Nyusi was educated, more than 1,000 people found shelter, where many slept on the floor of an indoor basketball court. "Everything is difficult here. I'm fighting for my children to have something to eat," said Celeste Dambo, who said that by lunchtime she had not yet eaten anything since the previous night. On Wednesday, crowds of people looted a warehouse, taking away sacks of rice marked "China Aid." "People have suffered for weeks here, and they are understandably worried. This is a very difficult situation, on a massive scale, the response is building, you’re going to have hiccups, (but) a lot more people are weighing in," said Bourke. The United Nations has launched an appeal for assistance. 'Cholera and malaria' Meantime the main morgue in Beira is teeming with bodies and burials are impossible because the city cemeteries are flooded, said the ICRC. "The mortuary at the city’s main hospital is full and there are dozens of bodies that need to be removed and cared for in a dignified way," said ICRC in a statement. "The humanitarian needs will tragically only deepen in the coming weeks," it added. The mayor of Beira Daviz Simango has been helping clean up the city, driving excavator. "We are starting from zero, we have started the work," he told AFP adding "our people have suffered a lot". Meanwhile, the ICRC has set up a dedicated website where missing people can be registered.

Aid workers scramble to get relief supplies to Mozambique cyclone victims

The victims of a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/five-indians-confirmed-dead-in-new-zealand-terror-attack-death-toll-rises-to-50-203766">terror attack on two Christchurch mosques</a> range in age from three to 77 and include at least four women, according to a list being circulated by families of the deceased.

Full details of who died in the attack have yet to be confirmed publicly by authorities and the list is not complete.

But it documents the international scale of the tragedy, with people hailing from across the Muslim world and members of two generations of the same family killed.

The document provides the names of 44 men and four women, and so is missing the identities of two of the 50 victims confirmed as dead by police.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-pm-says-received-gunmans-manifesto-minutes-before-attack-203799">Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern</a> said the list was not "formal" and "will not be until formal identification has been completed".

"I also know the receipt of that provisional list last night will, of course, have been devastating," she added.

The victims already in the public domain include 71-year-old Daoud Nabi, who had lived in New Zealand for more than 40 years after fleeing Afghanistan as a refugee in the late 1970s.

He thought his adopted home to be a "slice of paradise" and is believed to have died shielding another worshipper from a bullet, his son Omar told AFP.

"He jumped in the firing line to save somebody else's life and he has passed away."

The list also includes 14-year-old Sayyad Milne, who died at the Al Noor mosque which he attended with his mother and friends every Friday.

Thirty-three-year-old goalkeeper Atta Elayyan was also among the deceased.

He had played 19 A Internationals for the Futsal Whites, according to NZ Football.

Teammate Josh Margetts said: "There is a huge hole in our hearts as we come to terms with the loss of a great person and a good mate."

The victims of a terror attack on two Christchurch mosques range in age from three to 77 and include at least four women, according to a list being circulated by families of the deceased.

The victims of a terror attack on two Christchurch mosques range in age from three to 77 and include at least four women, according to a list being circulated by families of the deceased. Full details of who died in the attack have yet to be confirmed publicly by authorities and the list is not complete. But it documents the international scale of the tragedy, with people hailing from across the Muslim world and members of two generations of the same family killed. The document provides the names of 44 men and four women, and so is missing the identities of two of the 50 victims confirmed as dead by police. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the list was not "formal" and "will not be until formal identification has been completed". "I also know the receipt of that provisional list last night will, of course, have been devastating," she added. The victims already in the public domain include 71-year-old Daoud Nabi, who had lived in New Zealand for more than 40 years after fleeing Afghanistan as a refugee in the late 1970s. He thought his adopted home to be a "slice of paradise" and is believed to have died shielding another worshipper from a bullet, his son Omar told AFP. "He jumped in the firing line to save somebody else's life and he has passed away." The list also includes 14-year-old Sayyad Milne, who died at the Al Noor mosque which he attended with his mother and friends every Friday. Thirty-three-year-old goalkeeper Atta Elayyan was also among the deceased. He had played 19 A Internationals for the Futsal Whites, according to NZ Football. Teammate Josh Margetts said: "There is a huge hole in our hearts as we come to terms with the loss of a great person and a good mate."

New Zealand mosque attacks: Youngest victim was 3 years old, say families

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-compares-child-sex-abuse-to-human-sacrifice-199347">Pope Francis</a> on Sunday vowed to tackle every single case of sexual abuse by priests, comparing paedophilia to "human sacrifice", but drew an angry response from victims.

As the pope promised an "all-out battle" against abusive priests at the end of the landmark Vatican summit on the issue, his critics dismissed his speech as a "stunning letdown".

And when he blamed the Devil for abuse in the Church, one victim described his comments as "pastoral 'blah-blah'".

In his closing address to top bishops, he also insisted the Church was not the only place children were assaulted.

"If in the Church there should emerge even a single case of abuse -– which already in itself represents an atrocity -– that case will be faced with the utmost seriousness," Francis promised.

"I am reminded of the cruel religious practice, once widespread in certain cultures, of sacrificing human beings – frequently children – in pagan rites," he said.

The sexual abuse of minors was "a widespread phenomenon in all cultures and societies", Francis said, as he denounced priests who prey on children as "tools of Satan".

"I make a heartfelt appeal for an all-out battle against the abuse of minors both sexually and in other areas... for we are dealing with abominable crimes that must be erased from the face of the earth," he said.

Children must be "protected from ravenous wolves", he said, adding: "We stand face to face with the mystery of evil".

Fresh action promised&nbsp;

The scandals have hit countries around the world, with lives devastated from Australia to Chile, Germany and the US.

Pope Francis had opened the four-day meeting by calling for "concrete measures" against child sex abuse and handing 114 senior bishops a roadmap to shape the debate on tackling paedophile priests.

The pope will issue "a new Motu Proprio" on the "protection of minors and vulnerable persons", summit moderator Federico Lombardi said after the pope's speech.

"Motu Proprios" are legal documents issued under the pope's personal authority, and this one will "strengthen prevention and the fight against abuse on the part of the Roman Curia and Vatican City State," he said.

Francis also wants to create "task forces" to help local parishes fight clerical paedophilia and the Vatican will draw up guidelines for bishops on dealing with abuse cases, he added.

'Stunning letdown'&nbsp;

The meeting was marked by soul-seeking and self-recrimination by the Church, and horror stories from abuse victims.

But the 82-year-old pontiff had warned victims to lower their expectations, saying much of the work would be done after the summit.&nbsp;

"Pope Francis's talk today was a stunning letdown, a catastrophic misreading of the grief and outrage of the faithful," said Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.

"If the powerful testimonies of the past week moved the needle in the right direction, the pope today moved it back," she said.

Swiss victim Jean-Marie Furbringer said: "Honestly it's a pastoral 'blah-blah', saying it's the fault of the Devil".

"It talks about the Devil, it talks about evil... There is no talk about permanently excluding child rapists and abusers who are employees of the Church," said Britain's Peter Saunders, a victim who resigned from a Vatican advisory commission on combating abuse.

Vatican specialist Marco Politi told AFP it would be "crucial to see what happens in the coming months.

"If structures are not put in place to file complaints and address the needs of victims, then the next scandal to break out will not only hit the local church but also the credibility of the pontificate," he said.

In his lengthy speech, Francis said the Church would draw inspiration from the "best practices" in the Seven Strategies for Ending Violence against Children, measures developed under the guidance of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

'Heed their cries'&nbsp;

Those gathered at the Vatican heard testimonies from victims, one of whom was forced to have three abortions after being abused for years by a priest who beat her, while another said he had been molested more than 100 times.

"The echo of the silent cry of the little ones who, instead of finding in them fathers and spiritual guides encountered tormentors, will shake hearts dulled by hypocrisy and by power," Francis said.

"It is our duty to pay close heed to this silent, choked cry," he added.

But Francesco Zanardi, survivor and head of Italian victims' association Rete Abuso, said the Vatican had "lost credibility".

"We wanted to see measures, to see the bishops (guilty of protecting paedophile priests) named. Start by opening the Vatican archives, not by destroying documents. Start handing documents over to the civil authorities," he said.

The Vatican has in the past refused to hand over internal documents about abuse cases to police investigating paedophilia.

German Cardinal Reinhard Marx admitted Saturday that "files that could have documented the terrible deeds and named those responsible were destroyed, or not even created.''

Pope Francis on Sunday vowed to tackle every single case of sexual abuse by priests, comparing paedophilia to "human sacrifice", but drew an angry response from victims.

Pope Francis on Sunday vowed to tackle every single case of sexual abuse by priests, comparing paedophilia to "human sacrifice", but drew an angry response from victims. As the pope promised an "all-out battle" against abusive priests at the end of the landmark Vatican summit on the issue, his critics dismissed his speech as a "stunning letdown". And when he blamed the Devil for abuse in the Church, one victim described his comments as "pastoral 'blah-blah'". In his closing address to top bishops, he also insisted the Church was not the only place children were assaulted. "If in the Church there should emerge even a single case of abuse -– which already in itself represents an atrocity -– that case will be faced with the utmost seriousness," Francis promised. "I am reminded of the cruel religious practice, once widespread in certain cultures, of sacrificing human beings – frequently children – in pagan rites," he said. The sexual abuse of minors was "a widespread phenomenon in all cultures and societies", Francis said, as he denounced priests who prey on children as "tools of Satan". "I make a heartfelt appeal for an all-out battle against the abuse of minors both sexually and in other areas... for we are dealing with abominable crimes that must be erased from the face of the earth," he said. Children must be "protected from ravenous wolves", he said, adding: "We stand face to face with the mystery of evil". Fresh action promised The scandals have hit countries around the world, with lives devastated from Australia to Chile, Germany and the US. Pope Francis had opened the four-day meeting by calling for "concrete measures" against child sex abuse and handing 114 senior bishops a roadmap to shape the debate on tackling paedophile priests. The pope will issue "a new Motu Proprio" on the "protection of minors and vulnerable persons", summit moderator Federico Lombardi said after the pope's speech. "Motu Proprios" are legal documents issued under the pope's personal authority, and this one will "strengthen prevention and the fight against abuse on the part of the Roman Curia and Vatican City State," he said. Francis also wants to create "task forces" to help local parishes fight clerical paedophilia and the Vatican will draw up guidelines for bishops on dealing with abuse cases, he added. 'Stunning letdown' The meeting was marked by soul-seeking and self-recrimination by the Church, and horror stories from abuse victims. But the 82-year-old pontiff had warned victims to lower their expectations, saying much of the work would be done after the summit. "Pope Francis's talk today was a stunning letdown, a catastrophic misreading of the grief and outrage of the faithful," said Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability. "If the powerful testimonies of the past week moved the needle in the right direction, the pope today moved it back," she said. Swiss victim Jean-Marie Furbringer said: "Honestly it's a pastoral 'blah-blah', saying it's the fault of the Devil". "It talks about the Devil, it talks about evil... There is no talk about permanently excluding child rapists and abusers who are employees of the Church," said Britain's Peter Saunders, a victim who resigned from a Vatican advisory commission on combating abuse. Vatican specialist Marco Politi told AFP it would be "crucial to see what happens in the coming months. "If structures are not put in place to file complaints and address the needs of victims, then the next scandal to break out will not only hit the local church but also the credibility of the pontificate," he said. In his lengthy speech, Francis said the Church would draw inspiration from the "best practices" in the Seven Strategies for Ending Violence against Children, measures developed under the guidance of the World Health Organisation (WHO). 'Heed their cries' Those gathered at the Vatican heard testimonies from victims, one of whom was forced to have three abortions after being abused for years by a priest who beat her, while another said he had been molested more than 100 times. "The echo of the silent cry of the little ones who, instead of finding in them fathers and spiritual guides encountered tormentors, will shake hearts dulled by hypocrisy and by power," Francis said. "It is our duty to pay close heed to this silent, choked cry," he added. But Francesco Zanardi, survivor and head of Italian victims' association Rete Abuso, said the Vatican had "lost credibility". "We wanted to see measures, to see the bishops (guilty of protecting paedophile priests) named. Start by opening the Vatican archives, not by destroying documents. Start handing documents over to the civil authorities," he said. The Vatican has in the past refused to hand over internal documents about abuse cases to police investigating paedophilia. German Cardinal Reinhard Marx admitted Saturday that "files that could have documented the terrible deeds and named those responsible were destroyed, or not even created.''

Pope vows to battle child sex abuse by Catholic church but fails to appease victims

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/chelsea-fan-banned-for-homophobic-abuse-188122">Anti-Semitic offences </a>rose almost 10 per cent in Germany last year, and violent attacks were up more than 60 per cent, crime statistics showed Wednesday.&nbsp;

Police recorded 1,646 offences motivated by hatred against Jews, said a government answer to a request by far-left Die Linke party lawmaker Petra Pau.

Among these were 62 violent offences that left 43 people injured, up from 37 physical attacks the previous year.

Germany, like other western countries, has watched with alarm as anti-Semitic and other racist hate speech and violence have increased in recent years as the political climate has coarsened and grown more polarised.

A mass influx of mostly Muslim refugees and migrants to Germany from 2015 drove the rise of the far-right and anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which since late 2017 is the biggest opposition group in parliament.

Leading AfD members, aside from railing against Islam and multiculturalism, have also made comments that play down the Holocaust.

Party co-leader Alexander Gauland described Nazi Germany's industrial-scale murder of Jews and other minorities as a mere "speck of bird poo in over 1,000 years of successful German history".

Another leading AfD politician, Bjoern Hoecke, has criticised the sprawling Holocaust memorial in Berlin as a "monument of shame".

The president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, and other Jewish community leaders have accused the AfD of fomenting hate against refugees, Muslims and Jews.

Belt attack, Holocaust denial

At the same time, Germany has also witnessed a rise in anti-Semitic attacks committed by migrants from Arab states.

In one prominent case last year a 19-year-old Syrian man was convicted for assault after lashing out with his belt at an Israeli man wearing a Jewish kippa skullcap while shouting "yahudi", Jew in Arabic.&nbsp;

A video of the street assault, filmed by the victim on his smartphone, had sparked widespread public revulsion as it spread on social media and triggered street rallies in solidarity with Jews.

News of the belt attack coincided with another public outcry, over a rap duo who made light of Nazi death camp prisoners but went on to win the music industry's sales-based Echo award, which was subsequently axed.

Days after the belt assault, some 2,000 people rallied at a "Berlin Wears Kippa" solidarity demonstration, matched by smaller events in several other German cities.

Most anti-Semitic offences were however committed by far-right perpetrators, reported the Berlin daily Tagesspiegel in an article on the new crime statistics.

Pau in her statement charged that "we are seeing that militant right-wing extremists can openly call for the desecration of Jewish institutions and attacks against Jewish people".&nbsp;

Anti-Semitic offences rose almost 10 per cent in Germany last year, and violent attacks were up more than 60 per cent, crime statistics showed Wednesday. Police recorded 1,646 offences motivated by hatred against Jews, said a government answer to a request by far-left Die Linke party lawmaker Petra Pau.

Anti-Semitic offences rose almost 10 per cent in Germany last year, and violent attacks were up more than 60 per cent, crime statistics showed Wednesday. Police recorded 1,646 offences motivated by hatred against Jews, said a government answer to a request by far-left Die Linke party lawmaker Petra Pau. Among these were 62 violent offences that left 43 people injured, up from 37 physical attacks the previous year. Germany, like other western countries, has watched with alarm as anti-Semitic and other racist hate speech and violence have increased in recent years as the political climate has coarsened and grown more polarised. A mass influx of mostly Muslim refugees and migrants to Germany from 2015 drove the rise of the far-right and anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which since late 2017 is the biggest opposition group in parliament. Leading AfD members, aside from railing against Islam and multiculturalism, have also made comments that play down the Holocaust. Party co-leader Alexander Gauland described Nazi Germany's industrial-scale murder of Jews and other minorities as a mere "speck of bird poo in over 1,000 years of successful German history". Another leading AfD politician, Bjoern Hoecke, has criticised the sprawling Holocaust memorial in Berlin as a "monument of shame". The president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, and other Jewish community leaders have accused the AfD of fomenting hate against refugees, Muslims and Jews. Belt attack, Holocaust denial At the same time, Germany has also witnessed a rise in anti-Semitic attacks committed by migrants from Arab states. In one prominent case last year a 19-year-old Syrian man was convicted for assault after lashing out with his belt at an Israeli man wearing a Jewish kippa skullcap while shouting "yahudi", Jew in Arabic. A video of the street assault, filmed by the victim on his smartphone, had sparked widespread public revulsion as it spread on social media and triggered street rallies in solidarity with Jews. News of the belt attack coincided with another public outcry, over a rap duo who made light of Nazi death camp prisoners but went on to win the music industry's sales-based Echo award, which was subsequently axed. Days after the belt assault, some 2,000 people rallied at a "Berlin Wears Kippa" solidarity demonstration, matched by smaller events in several other German cities. Most anti-Semitic offences were however committed by far-right perpetrators, reported the Berlin daily Tagesspiegel in an article on the new crime statistics. Pau in her statement charged that "we are seeing that militant right-wing extremists can openly call for the desecration of Jewish institutions and attacks against Jewish people".

Germany anti-Semitic offences up sharply in 2018: Government

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-urges-predator-priests-who-sexually-abused-minors-to-turn-themselves-in-185719">Pope Francis vowed justice for victims </a>of clerical sex abuse Monday, describing paedophilia as one of the "vilest" crimes ahead of a historic global meet on the crisis roiling the church.

"I cannot refrain from speaking of one of the plagues of our time, which sadly has also involved some members of the clergy," he said in his annual address to ambassadors to the Holy See.

"The abuse of minors is one of the vilest and most heinous crimes conceivable. Such abuse inexorably sweeps away the best of what human life holds out for innocent children, and causes irreparable and lifelong damage," he said.

Francis swore to "render justice to minors", and said a meeting of the world's bishops in February was "meant to be a further step in the church’s efforts to shed full light on the facts and to alleviate the wounds caused by such crimes".

A litany of child sexual abuse scandals has rocked the Catholic church, which has 1.3 billion followers around the world.

In December the pontiff had vowed the church would never again treat abuse allegations without "seriousness and promptness", calling on abusers to hand themselves in to police.

The Argentine has struggled to resolve the problem as the steady drip of scandal corrodes the church's authority amid sharp divisions in Rome over how to handle the fallout and an apparently endless stream of bad news.

In the latest case to shake the Catholic church, the highest-profile Catholic cleric to be caught up in a paedophile scandal in France went on trial on Monday charged with failing to report a priest who abused boy scouts in the 1980s and 90s.

Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, the archbishop of Lyon, in central eastern France, is accused along with five others from his diocese of helping cover up abuse in one of the parishes in the area.

On Friday the Vatican confirmed that an Argentinian bishop who has held a senior position at the Holy See since 2017, is under preliminary investigation over sex abuse claims.

'I cannot refrain from speaking of one of the plagues of our time, which sadly has also involved some members of the clergy,' Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis vowed justice for victims of clerical sex abuse Monday, describing paedophilia as one of the "vilest" crimes ahead of a historic global meet on the crisis roiling the church. "I cannot refrain from speaking of one of the plagues of our time, which sadly has also involved some members of the clergy," he said in his annual address to ambassadors to the Holy See. "The abuse of minors is one of the vilest and most heinous crimes conceivable. Such abuse inexorably sweeps away the best of what human life holds out for innocent children, and causes irreparable and lifelong damage," he said. Francis swore to "render justice to minors", and said a meeting of the world's bishops in February was "meant to be a further step in the church’s efforts to shed full light on the facts and to alleviate the wounds caused by such crimes". A litany of child sexual abuse scandals has rocked the Catholic church, which has 1.3 billion followers around the world. In December the pontiff had vowed the church would never again treat abuse allegations without "seriousness and promptness", calling on abusers to hand themselves in to police. The Argentine has struggled to resolve the problem as the steady drip of scandal corrodes the church's authority amid sharp divisions in Rome over how to handle the fallout and an apparently endless stream of bad news. In the latest case to shake the Catholic church, the highest-profile Catholic cleric to be caught up in a paedophile scandal in France went on trial on Monday charged with failing to report a priest who abused boy scouts in the 1980s and 90s. Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, the archbishop of Lyon, in central eastern France, is accused along with five others from his diocese of helping cover up abuse in one of the parishes in the area. On Friday the Vatican confirmed that an Argentinian bishop who has held a senior position at the Holy See since 2017, is under preliminary investigation over sex abuse claims.

Pope vows justice for victims of 'vile' sex abuse

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/lion-air-ponders-cancelling-boeing-jets-in-row-over-crash-sources-181468">Lion Air </a>announced Monday it was funding a multi-million dollar search effort using a Dutch company for the second black box and missing victims from doomed flight JT-610.&nbsp;

The Boeing 737 MAX vanished from radar 13 minutes after taking off from Jakarta on October 29, crashing into waters off the north coast of Indonesia's Java Island and killing all 189 people onboard.

Authorities called off the grim task of identifying victims of the crash last month, with only 125 people officially identified after tests on human remains that filled some 200 body bags.

Following requests from victims' families, Lion said it had allocated 38 billion rupiah ($2.6 million) to hire a Dutch company to continue the search with its ship the MPV Everest.

"The search operation will focus on the latest coordinates of the crash... with an operational time of 10 consecutive days in December," the airline said in a statement.

The MPV Everest, a 142-metre long vessel with state-of-the-art remotely operated vehicles, will arrive near the crash site on Wednesday.

Bad weather had delayed its trip from the Malaysian port of Johor Baru.&nbsp;

News that the hunt for the wreckage would continue with the new vessel was welcomed by Evi Syamsul Komar, whose nephew was aboard the flight.

"We have heard many promises before, we don't know who to trust anymore, but our family is still waiting," Komar told AFP.

Dozens of family members whose loved ones were killed in the crash protested in Jakarta last week, demanding the search continue.

They called on authorities to help retrieve the remaining 64 bodies and pay compensation.

Nearly 30 relatives of the crash victims have filed lawsuits against Boeing, alleging faults with the new model 737 MAX led to the deaths.

The preliminary crash report from Indonesia's transport safety agency suggested that pilots struggled to control the plane's anti-stalling system immediately before the crash.

Investigators also found that the Lion Air jet should have been grounded over a recurrent technical problem before its fatal journey, but did not pinpoint a cause of for the accident.

The planes cockpit voice recorder is yet to be found. A final report is not likely to be filed until next year.&nbsp;

Lion Air announced Monday it was funding a multi-million dollar search effort using a Dutch company for the second black box and missing victims from doomed flight JT-610.

Lion Air announced Monday it was funding a multi-million dollar search effort using a Dutch company for the second black box and missing victims from doomed flight JT-610. The Boeing 737 MAX vanished from radar 13 minutes after taking off from Jakarta on October 29, crashing into waters off the north coast of Indonesia's Java Island and killing all 189 people onboard. Authorities called off the grim task of identifying victims of the crash last month, with only 125 people officially identified after tests on human remains that filled some 200 body bags. Following requests from victims' families, Lion said it had allocated 38 billion rupiah ($2.6 million) to hire a Dutch company to continue the search with its ship the MPV Everest. "The search operation will focus on the latest coordinates of the crash... with an operational time of 10 consecutive days in December," the airline said in a statement. The MPV Everest, a 142-metre long vessel with state-of-the-art remotely operated vehicles, will arrive near the crash site on Wednesday. Bad weather had delayed its trip from the Malaysian port of Johor Baru. News that the hunt for the wreckage would continue with the new vessel was welcomed by Evi Syamsul Komar, whose nephew was aboard the flight. "We have heard many promises before, we don't know who to trust anymore, but our family is still waiting," Komar told AFP. Dozens of family members whose loved ones were killed in the crash protested in Jakarta last week, demanding the search continue. They called on authorities to help retrieve the remaining 64 bodies and pay compensation. Nearly 30 relatives of the crash victims have filed lawsuits against Boeing, alleging faults with the new model 737 MAX led to the deaths. The preliminary crash report from Indonesia's transport safety agency suggested that pilots struggled to control the plane's anti-stalling system immediately before the crash. Investigators also found that the Lion Air jet should have been grounded over a recurrent technical problem before its fatal journey, but did not pinpoint a cause of for the accident. The planes cockpit voice recorder is yet to be found. A final report is not likely to be filed until next year.

Lion Air to resume search for victims of Indonesia crash

Four people were killed and two others critically wounded in a shooting at a Chicago hospital on Monday, and among the dead was the gunman who started shooting in the parking lot and then burst into the medical facility and opened fire, according to local media.

Chicago police officer has died after shooting at the hospital.

Police cars and ambulances swarmed the hospital after the shooting.

ABC7 Chicago and CBS Chicago, citing sources, reported that two people died in the shooting, including the gunman, and that two other people were wounded.

Police searched the hospital, said Anthony Guglielmi, a Chicago Police Department spokesman. The hospital said on Twitter the shooting was over and patients were safe.

Eyewitnesses told reporters the shooting began in the parking lot before moving into a clinic area inside the hospital.

Police have not commented on a possible motive for the shooting.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police Superintendent Eddie Johnson were on their way to University of Chicago hospital, where the wounded police officer was being treated, according to local media.

Sue Jimenez, the manager of Kozy's Cyclery bike shop near the hospital, said she heard multiple gunshots separated by pauses. At one point, she heard five shots in quick succession, she said, but the shooting stopped after police arrived.

Four people were killed and two others critically wounded in a shooting at a Chicago hospital on Monday, and among the dead was the gunman who started shooting in the parking lot and then burst into the medical facility and opened fire, according to local media.

Four people were killed and two others critically wounded in a shooting at a Chicago hospital on Monday, and among the dead was the gunman who started shooting in the parking lot and then burst into the medical facility and opened fire, according to local media. Chicago police officer has died after shooting at the hospital. Police cars and ambulances swarmed the hospital after the shooting. ABC7 Chicago and CBS Chicago, citing sources, reported that two people died in the shooting, including the gunman, and that two other people were wounded. Police searched the hospital, said Anthony Guglielmi, a Chicago Police Department spokesman. The hospital said on Twitter the shooting was over and patients were safe. Eyewitnesses told reporters the shooting began in the parking lot before moving into a clinic area inside the hospital. Police have not commented on a possible motive for the shooting. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police Superintendent Eddie Johnson were on their way to University of Chicago hospital, where the wounded police officer was being treated, according to local media. Sue Jimenez, the manager of Kozy's Cyclery bike shop near the hospital, said she heard multiple gunshots separated by pauses. At one point, she heard five shots in quick succession, she said, but the shooting stopped after police arrived.

Video: Four killed, including gunman and police officer, in shooting at Chicago hospital

President Donald Trump will fly Saturday to California to meet victims of wildfires that have killed at least 59 people and destroyed the homes of thousands, the White House said Thursday.

At least 300 people are still missing and the death toll is expected to rise as recovery teams conduct house-to-house searches amid the wreckage of the sprawling blazes in northern and southern California.

Trump will "meet with individuals impacted by the wildfires," a White House spokeswoman said.

Fifty-six of the deaths and most of those unaccounted for are from the Butte County town of Paradise in northern California, which was decimated by the so-called Camp Fire that erupted a week ago.

Trump initially showed little sympathy for the famously liberal state as the death toll began to mount, blaming poor forest management in a tweet posted on Friday that also threatened to cut federal funding.&nbsp;

"Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!" he said.

Virtually every home in Paradise, a town of around 26,000 located 80 miles (130 kilometres) north of the state capital Sacramento, was destroyed by the fire, which was fueled by high winds.

The Butte County Sheriff's Office published a list late Wednesday of about 300 people who are missing. Some may have fled their homes and not been in touch with family and friends but others are believed to have died in the fast-moving Camp Fire.

At the southern end of the state the Woolsey Fire has razed 98,000 acres (39,660 hectares) and has been 57 per cent contained.

A number of celebrities have lost their homes in Malibu as a result of the inferno, including Pierce Brosnan, Miley Cyrus, Neil Young, Robin Thicke, Shannen Doherty and Gerard Butler.

President Donald Trump will fly Saturday to California to meet victims of wildfires that have killed at least 59 people and destroyed the homes of thousands, the White House said Thursday.

President Donald Trump will fly Saturday to California to meet victims of wildfires that have killed at least 59 people and destroyed the homes of thousands, the White House said Thursday. At least 300 people are still missing and the death toll is expected to rise as recovery teams conduct house-to-house searches amid the wreckage of the sprawling blazes in northern and southern California. Trump will "meet with individuals impacted by the wildfires," a White House spokeswoman said. Fifty-six of the deaths and most of those unaccounted for are from the Butte County town of Paradise in northern California, which was decimated by the so-called Camp Fire that erupted a week ago. Trump initially showed little sympathy for the famously liberal state as the death toll began to mount, blaming poor forest management in a tweet posted on Friday that also threatened to cut federal funding. "Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!" he said. Virtually every home in Paradise, a town of around 26,000 located 80 miles (130 kilometres) north of the state capital Sacramento, was destroyed by the fire, which was fueled by high winds. The Butte County Sheriff's Office published a list late Wednesday of about 300 people who are missing. Some may have fled their homes and not been in touch with family and friends but others are believed to have died in the fast-moving Camp Fire. At the southern end of the state the Woolsey Fire has razed 98,000 acres (39,660 hectares) and has been 57 per cent contained. A number of celebrities have lost their homes in Malibu as a result of the inferno, including Pierce Brosnan, Miley Cyrus, Neil Young, Robin Thicke, Shannen Doherty and Gerard Butler.

Trump to visit California wildfire victims: White House

Nearly 3,000 people marched in the Belgian city of Liege on Sunday to honour the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/terrorist-attacker-kills-three-in-belgiums-liege-gunman-dead-140693">three victims of a shooting</a> there last week that prosecutors are treating as a terrorist attack.

The marchers, most dressed in white, made a solemn procession through the city's sunny streets before laying white roses at the scene of the attack by Benjamin Herman, who shot dead two policewomen and a student on Tuesday.

Hundreds of white balloons were released into the sky at the culmination of the march, which comes ahead of official funerals on Tuesday for the two slain officers, who have both been posthumously awarded Belgium's highest civilian decoration.

"I think it's important to be here, just to support the family, not to change things. Just to show to the family that we are here and support them," Marie Pousset, who was among nearly 3,000 marchers according to local police, told AFP.

Government officials and a representative of Belgium's king are set to attend the funerals for police officers Lucile Garcia, 54, and Soraya Belkacemi, 44, on Tuesday morning.

Student Cyril Vangriecken, 22, shot dead by Herman as he sat in the passenger seat of a parked car, will be buried on Monday.

A gunman on Tuesday fired shots in eastern Belgium's city of Liege killing two police officers and one civilian as a terrorist incident before being shot, the local public prosecutor told a news conference.

As per UK based reports, the police identified the gunman as&nbspBenjamin Herman, 36,&nbspfrom Rochefort, a city close to Liege. He had been involved in criminal activities such as&nbsprobbery, assault, and drug-dealing and was well-known to the police.&nbsp

The 36-year-old petty criminal&nbsphad been let out on day-release from a local prison on Monday. Police said investigators were looking into whether he converted to Islam and had been radicalised in jail, Reuters reported.

The Islamic State group on Wednesday claimed one of its "soldiers" killed two policewomen and a student in the Belgian city of Liege this week, the jihadists' Amaq propaganda agency said.

"The author of the attack on the city of Liege in Belgium is a soldier of the Islamic State," IS said in a statement published on Amaq's Telegram account a day after the attack.

The terror group said "he led the attack in response to calls to target the countries of the US-led international coalition," which is fighting the jihadist group mainly in Syria.

The marchers, most dressed in white, made a solemn procession through the city's sunny streets before laying white roses at the scene of the attack by Benjamin Herman, who shot dead two policewomen and a student on Tuesday.

Nearly 3,000 people marched in the Belgian city of Liege on Sunday to honour the three victims of a shooting there last week that prosecutors are treating as a terrorist attack. The marchers, most dressed in white, made a solemn procession through the city's sunny streets before laying white roses at the scene of the attack by Benjamin Herman, who shot dead two policewomen and a student on Tuesday. Hundreds of white balloons were released into the sky at the culmination of the march, which comes ahead of official funerals on Tuesday for the two slain officers, who have both been posthumously awarded Belgium's highest civilian decoration. "I think it's important to be here, just to support the family, not to change things. Just to show to the family that we are here and support them," Marie Pousset, who was among nearly 3,000 marchers according to local police, told AFP. Government officials and a representative of Belgium's king are set to attend the funerals for police officers Lucile Garcia, 54, and Soraya Belkacemi, 44, on Tuesday morning. Student Cyril Vangriecken, 22, shot dead by Herman as he sat in the passenger seat of a parked car, will be buried on Monday. A gunman on Tuesday fired shots in eastern Belgium's city of Liege killing two police officers and one civilian as a terrorist incident before being shot, the local public prosecutor told a news conference. As per UK based reports, the police identified the gunman as&nbspBenjamin Herman, 36,&nbspfrom Rochefort, a city close to Liege. He had been involved in criminal activities such as&nbsprobbery, assault, and drug-dealing and was well-known to the police. The 36-year-old petty criminal&nbsphad been let out on day-release from a local prison on Monday. Police said investigators were looking into whether he converted to Islam and had been radicalised in jail, Reuters reported. The Islamic State group on Wednesday claimed one of its "soldiers" killed two policewomen and a student in the Belgian city of Liege this week, the jihadists' Amaq propaganda agency said. "The author of the attack on the city of Liege in Belgium is a soldier of the Islamic State," IS said in a statement published on Amaq's Telegram account a day after the attack. The terror group said "he led the attack in response to calls to target the countries of the US-led international coalition," which is fighting the jihadist group mainly in Syria.

Thousands march for Belgium terror shooting victims

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